Lubricant-seal shaft-packing.



No. 862,117. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

J. W. SMITH.

LUBRIGANT SEAL SHAFT PACKING.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. ze. 1906.

"Wilida/(IIE UNITED-mares PATENT orme-n.

JOHN W. SMITH, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BALL ENGINE COMPANY, OF ERIE,

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA i lLUIBRICANT-SEA/L SHAFT-PACKING.

To all who-m it 'may concern:

Be it knownv that I, JOHN W. SMITH, a citizen ofv the United States, and a resident of Erie, county of Erie, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricant-Seal Shaft- Iackings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shaft packings, and'more particularly to improvements in lubricant-seal shaft packings to be used in connection' with turbines and similar motors, the parts of which ro-v tate rapidly and which at one side of the packings are subjected to a high pressure.

The invention has for its object-to provide a packing which is not inuenced by the pressure to which one side of the same may be subjected.

It has further for its object to provide a liquid-packing, the position of which liquid in the packing may be predetermined and retained. I

The invention has further for itsobject'to utilize for the packing, the lubricant used for the rotating members. I

For this purpose, my invention consists of a liquidseal packing, comprising a casing, a disk or collar rotatable therein, a liquid interposed between the casing and disk or collar,`and means for maintaining the interposed liquid at a predetermined position; and the invention consists further in the combinationl with a lubricant-seal packing, of apbearing having means for force of the rotating disk or collar.

The invention consists further of certain novel fea-` tures and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse section of a turbine wheel secured to its axis, the ends of which are supported in bearings, between which and the turbine wheel, my improved.

packings are arranged. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. l, taken on line 2-2 thereof, Fig. 3 shows a detail view on an enlarged scale, of a somewhat modified form of the disk or collar forming part of my improved packing, and Fig. 4 shows amodified form of casing.

Similar letters. of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, represents aturbine wheel'rotatable within the casing' B, and secured tothe Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28,1906.v Serial No. 303,459.

Patented muy 30,1907,

shaft C, one end of whichis rotatable in a journal bearing E, while the end F of the shaft C is rotatable in a thrust bearing G. v

Intermediate between the turbine wheel 'A and the bearing'E, the shaft C is provided with a collar or disk H. Surrounding this collar and secured to the walls of the easing B, is a small casing or chamber N.

Thezcollar H has a flange H1, the end of which is processes K, as shown clearly in Figl. At the same side of these recesses, the collar or disk H isrounded or y curved as shown by H2, the object of which is to cause the liquid supplied, to be guided radially along the collar and toward the periphery thereof. So, the object of the inclined recesses K is to cause the liquid to be forced outward of the collar and against the casing on the rapid rotation of the collar. The other side of the collar H is provided with a plurality of radially arranged recesses M, the object of which-is to cause the liquid to be forced out radially toward the periphery of the -rapidly rotating collar, by the centrifugal force. By the arrangement of the recesses K and M, Ythe liquid forming the seal is. caused to rotate at practically the same speed as the collar.

In order to utilize the lubricant of the bearings F and G, as a liquid seal after it has performed its lubricating function, the bearings and the packing are arranged in close prqximity', so that the lubricant, after leaving the bearings, flows towards the collar H, and on the curved portion H2 thereof and isforced by centrifugal force radially outwards and against the casing. During the rotation of the collar both sides of the liquid-seal are of the same height, and the two columns of oil would balance each other. If however, the turbine case should umns would be impaired, and the oil would be drawn inside of the casing as fast as the bearing overowed. To prevent this, the side of the easing N extends at the -side adjacent the turbine'wheel down as far as the shaft of the same, while the side off from the turbine wheel and adjacent to the bearing does not extend down to the shaft, but solely part of the way. The shortened side wall Nl of the casing is limited for the purpose of causing thelubricant to be maintained'at a 4position depending on the length measured in a radial direction of that depending side of the casing. Thus the difference in the two columns of oil forming the packing is so regulated that the vacuum in the turbine wheel is not strong enough to carry through the column of oil on the side next to the turbine wheel" long enough to cause it to overflow into the turbine case. Thus by the arrangement nof the parts as shown, when a constant supply of lubricant is admitted, the lubricant forming the packvided witha plurality of axially arranged inclined rehave a vacuum, then the equilibrium of the two coling, will always overflow at the side ofi from the turbine wheel and on tothe bearing, the amount of lubriv cant used as a packing being regulated by the height of the depending side N1 of the casing N. It is immaterial what amount of lubricant is supplied to the collaras the size of the depending side N1, of the casing Will control the amount used as the packing and interposed between the collar and casing. g

` In the modified form shown in Fig. 3, the end of the flange H1v instead of having an inclined-surface has a curved surface as shown by K2 in Fig. 3.

Instead oi having one side of the casing shorter than the yother as described and shown, both sdesof vthe casing may be of substantially 'the Vsame length, and one oi the sides, namely the side-off from the turbine Wheel ,provided with holes mas shown in Fig. 4, lwhereby an overflow 4feature is providedon that side.

The packing described is also `suitable -for sealing the joint shoulda back `pressure existin `the turbine casing, as a column of oi'l could be keptunder-centrifugal force Withsulicient'force to resist the pressure in the turbine casing. y y

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1, A liquid-seal shaft-packing, comprising a casing, a collar therein, means ier continually supplying a liquid between the casing 'and colla-r Afor forming a seal when either casing -or 'collar is rotated, land means for regulating the .position of the liquid interposed.

2. A liquid-seal shaft-packing, comprising -a casing a lrotatable collar ltherein, having a flange with recesses at'- lts end, means for continua-ily 'supplying a liquid between rotatable collar therein, having a 'la'nge at one side with axially arranged inclined recesses at its end, and having a curved portion near its central part, and a'plurality of recesses on the side of the collar opposite 'to the flanged side,

Aand a liquid interposedbetween the casing and iianged collar.

5. In combination, with a liquid-seal shaft-paclring, comJ prising a casing, -a' collar rotatable in the casing, a liquid interposed between the "casing and collaizand means forv` regulating` the position of the liquid interposed, of a bearing in proximity to the shaft-packing, adapted to discharge its lubricant in the direction of the-shaft 6.. In combination, with a liquid-sealshaft-packingcomi prising a-casing, a collar rotatable in the casing, having radial recesses at one'side and a `iiange with axially arranged recesses at the otherI side, a liquid interposed between the casing andr collar, and means regulating ther 8. A collar for avvliqu-id-seal packing, having at one side.

a ange with radially arranged inclined recesses, and at -the other side thereof radially arranged recesses.

9. A collar for a liquid-seal packing, having at one side and `at its'periphery, a flange with radially arranged inclined recesses, and :a curved portion near its central part,

and at -the other side thereot radially arranged recesses.

10. A'casing for a liquid-seal shaft-packixig complete in itself, provided with means 'forming an inherentpart thereof, to yregulate the position`of a continually supplied liquidl in the packing. l

11. A collar for a liquid seal shaft packing rotatable with a shaft, having a curved portion tangential to the shaft for the fiow of liquid from the shaft to the collar.

12. A col-lar for a 'liquid-seal shaft-packing, having`a iange with radial recesses inclined in respect to the axis4 of the collar.

13. A collar for a liquid-seal shaft-packinglwith radial recesses at one side, andv at the other side, a flange with axially inclined recesses* y In :testimony,thart I yclaim the foregoing as my invention, l have signed my .na-me .in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

vJOHN W. SMITH.

Witnesses v g .TAM-ns W. ArmrsoN,

lRomaa'r L. Ronna'rs. 

